Cutter Boley was all smiles when he announced his commitment to Kentucky. (Lisa Collins Photo)
He was a consensus four-star recruit and ranked as a top 15 quarterback nationally in his recruiting class. He threw for 8,331 yards and 82 scores in his prep career and even ran for 17 more touchdowns.
When he picked Kentucky, it created a huge buzz for UK football fans because the expectation was he would be the quarterback who would end the need to annually go to the transfer portal to find a starting quarterback. He would be the one UK coach Mark Stoops and his staff would develop into a multi-year player/starter.
No, it was not Matt Ponatoski, the big-time recent UK quarterback commit from Cincinnati Moeller who has helped at least temporarily rejuvenate part of the UK football fan base. Instead, it was the buzz from Big Blue Nation when Lexington Christian Academy quarterback Cutter Boley committed to UK two years ago over Florida State, Michigan, Penn State and many others.
Boley played in four games last season and started UK’s final regular-season game against Louisville when he went 6-for-15 passing for 48 yards. However, he went 10 of 18 for 160 yards in a loss at No. 3 Texas late in the season.
However, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops obviously decided maybe the future was not now for Boley after UK’s 4-8 finish in 2024 and went to the transfer portal to sign Zach Calzada. Boley had chances to transfer but didn’t in anticipation that he could be UK’s starting quarterback this season but that is not happening.
Calzada has played at Texas A&M (2019-21), Auburn (2022) and Incarnate Word (2023-24). While Stoops has not officially named him the starter, everyone else seems to think the decision has been made to go with the more experienced Calzada.
“I think the fact that we had a local young quarterback on campus that we certainly feel is the future. When that time is, I’m not sure. Whether it’s next week, two weeks, three weeks, next season, next year, I’m not sure,” Stoops said at SEC Media Days about Boley.
Stoops noted that Calzada has “won big games in the SEC” already.
“Has a ton of experience under his belt,” Stoops said. “Has a chip on his shoulder. Wants to come back and prove that.”
Calzada threw for 2,185 yards and 17 scores in the 2021 season but transferred to Auburn. He did not play due to a shoulder injury and then transferred to Incarnate Word where he threw for 3,791 yards in 2024.
Senior tight end Josh Kattus said that UK has a “great quarterback room” during his time at the SEC Media Days and gave the diplomatic answer Stoops would have wanted him to do.
“We’ve got two guys kind of battling out right now, Zach Calzada and Cutter Boley. They both possess strong quarterback traits. They’re leaders. They have great arms. And they’re very smart. Really excited to see that quarterback battle and what shakes out this fall,” Kattus said.
The veteran tight end noted that a new quarterback like Calzada has to do the “small things” to win over teammates.
“It’s being open to getting to know everyone. It’s sitting down at the lunch table, putting your phone down and having a genuine conversation. It’s putting in extra work, whether that’s on Saturdays,” Kattus said. “I’d say that’s something we’ve done really good. We only get so much time to work with the coaches. It’s in the leaders’ hands to go do that extra work. So he stepped up as one of the quarterbacks and has done that.”
Kattus said a “voluntary” 7-on-7 with just players and coaches planned for last weekend is what it takes to build trust.
“That’s what we respect, those players that will come in, that are willing to work, that will embody our core values, which are attitude, toughness, discipline and pride. And really get to know everyone,” Kattus said. “He’s done great. He’s a great guy. I’m good friends with him off the field. So he’s done a lot of great things.
16 Responses
I'm getting the feeling that Boley will be playing somewhere else next year. He will join a long list of QB's with broken promises.
I'm getting the feeling that Boley will be playing somewhere else next year. He'll join the list of a lot of KY QB's who left the program with broken promises.
UK QB history repeats itself & that’s not a good thing. Throw consistency out the window when the revolving door never stops. Boley, the Kentucky native with incredible numbers in HS & a top level recruit, gets shelved his 2nd year after playing some games as true FR without an OL. He more than oaid his dues, but will essentially be shoved out the door because UK HC & the revolving door OC are not going to let him develop at UK with an offensive line stronger than wet paper towels, which is supposed to happen this year.
Great UK HS talent cannot develop at UK in any sport if not given adequate time in the game.
I've gone back and looked at the number of QB that have left KY during the Stoops era with significant eligibility left. Eleven! That is in one position. Come in, stay two years and leave.
Nice job counting the QB turnover, RJohn!
Great teams with great coaches have key players developed in their system who get enough snaps in their early years to develop and prove they can even start.
QB revolving door & OC revolving door
Consistency & Development are impossible!
Cutter will be the starter in 2026. I see him getting plenty of snap this season anyways to get him ready. I don’t mind Cutter waiting until next year. It’s gives him time to develop. People going to complain no matter what. You can’t throw a young guy like him out on the field in SEC.
Stoops has never allowed a backup qb time on the field to develop during live games. It has never happened and I doubt it ever will.
There has not been One QB that transferred from Ky and went on to have enough success that proved they should have started at UK.
Exactly!
It's hard to develop into a top tier SEC QB by riding the pines! So you go somewhere else into someone's system as a junior, you have to perform because they are developing freshmen. Tough shine like a star in that kind of system.
Exactly right! The development has to start early & such awful programs – more than twice in 12 years – develop their young players instead of leaving them no choice other than transferring to a new program, new system, new coaches, new players, new fans – it’s a tough transition & few handle it well.
Zach Calzada is a much better QB than Cutter Boley. He started in 8 SEC games and played in 15 games at Texas A&M (a much better football pedigree) and thrived as a starter. Yes he was inconsistent as is any sophomore starting in the SEC. In 10 games he threw for almost 2,200 yards and 17 tds. In 2021. That was 4 years ago. He has played a ton of football since then and has also gotten bigger stronger and faster since then. I do believe if he doesn't get injured that he will be the first QB in the Stoops era to throw for 3,000 yards and 25+ TD passes. I believe the run will open up the pass and visa versa our offense will be one of the best offenses in the Stoops era. Our defense isn't slow like it was last year. Guys didn't even look fast enough to line up. All that will be different this year. Our secondary will get us off the field early and often. Lovett has 7 career ints. He will have about 5 this year. Bryant had a interception last year. He will have 2-3 this year. Hardaway had 3 it's last year. He will have 4-5 this year. Waller, Dunn, Nichols, Addison and Smith will all be much more improved with added experience. Our defensive line is much faster as well. With Saunders,Hayes, Gusta,and Grace we will reak havoc in the backfield. Add that with much faster linebackers. Afari, Rayner, Godfrey, and Smith will fly off the ball and make plays as well. Gilbert Godfrey is my dark horse in the linebacker room along with Saunders on the line. Our secondary is elite. Linebackers and line are finally fast.
There is a reason Calzada was at Incarnate Word and not playing in the SEC.
He transferred to Auburn from Texas A&M and was going to be the starter at Auburn in 2022 before hurting his arm and having to miss the year with a injury. Then he lands at Incarnate Word in 2023 and 2024. The same incarnate word that just produced the #1 pick in the NFL draft Cam Ward is also incarnate word alumni. They are known for making QBs great. Zach Calzada not only started but thrived and led the league in passing tds and yards. He will be 25 years old midway through the year. He is more than ready and really Cutter needs another year to develop so it's perfect. This should be Cutters freshman year in college he reclassified and came to Kentucky a year early. So really he should be a true freshman this year and was playing against teams like Texas in what should have been his senior year in high school. He needs this year to develop in what will be 3 years as the starting QB here and he will get better every year. Calzada has the strongest arm Jimbo Fischer has ever seen. He said he had a NFL arm 4 years ago and he's gotten much better since when he played at Texas A&M I'm not knocking Cutter I think Cutter is the future of Kentucky football as early as 2026 maybe with a injury to Calzada he takes over this year. I thought Beau Allen would be a great backup seeing he's been playing college football now for 5 years. He could win the backup job and I wouldn't be surprised. Cutter is a year away from being a real starter in the SEC. He deserves the starting role in 2026. This year the cuban missile is ready for take off.
This time last year, we were hearing about former 5-Star, Brock Vandagrift, going to lead the Cats to the top of the conference.
So much, bulls-it
Lmao Brock had no experience and the worst offensive line ever in the SEC. We have revamped line mixed with a ton of experience. We will be much better on the line this year. Brock V was a terrible decision maker and would get happy feet in the pocket but to his credit he was scared to death and I would have been to with that line. Key and Brown were punks and I'm glad there gone. We need to get back to what worked the run your opponent over approach with strength. I can guarantee one thing we will go to a bowl game this year. I guarantee that. I also believe we beat Ole Miss Vanderbilt Tennessee and someone else in the sec on our schedule maybe Auburn maybe Florida. We will win a game or 2 we shouldn't and we will easily go bowling then Stoops needs to step down. He will have kept his word leaving the program better than he found it. I want Jon Sumrall personally. I think we should give him a chance. He could take us to another level.